June 04, 2015

An increasing number of residents in Knowsley are having their free NHS Health Check according to the latest figures. Over the last six months, over 1,200 residents have visited their GP to have their free Health Check.

The NHS Health Check, available to 40 -74 year olds, is an important step for many people towards improving their health and wellbeing. Through relatively simple lifestyle changes, like healthy eating and being more physically active, people can lower their risk of developing serious, but preventable conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and dementia.

The Health Check Practitioner will:

Ask some simple questions about things like family history and current lifestyle

Measure height and weight

Make a note of age, sex and ethnicity

Measure blood pressure

Check cholesterol with a simple blood test (finger prick test)

A health check could help to identify any conditions early, enabling residents to receive preventative treatment, which will ultimately add years on to people’s lives.

Cllr Eddie Connor, Cabinet Member for Public Health & Wellbeing, said “The Health Checks provide a real opportunity for people to take control of their own health and it is encouraging to see so many people in Knowsley actively engaging in this. We know that by making a few simple changes in our behaviour and lifestyle can have a major positive impact on our health and wellbeing. That is what the Health Check aims to do and I would encourage as many residents as possible, aged between 40-74 years, to arrange their appointment today.”

If you live in Knowsley and are aged between 40-74 years, call the Health Check Nurses on 0800 032 5821 or 07976 148 617. They can advise if you meet the eligibility criteria and will also be able to book you in for a health check at your GP or a community venue.

The festival opens in spectacular style with a return visit from our old friends, featuring highlights from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.

Choral Classics - The Armed Man & More

Saturday 20th June, 7.00pm (£5 - under 16s free if with an adult)

Prescot Parish Church, Church Street, Prescot. L34 1LA

Prescot Festival Chorus (100-strong in 2013 and 2014) perform Karl Jenkins' incredibly popular The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, conducted by James Luxton (Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral) with Peter Kwater (organ). See website to 'Come & Sing.' The second half features the highly-accomplished Parbold Chamber Choir.

Classic Film: Brassed Off with Fish & Chip Supper

Thursday 25th June, 7.00pm (£7)

St Paul's Church, Bryer Road, Prescot. L35 5ND

To tie in with Saturday's return visit from Foden's Band, we present this 1996 comedy-drama featuring Ewan McGregor and the late Warrington-born actor Pete Postlethwaite, in which "Grimley" Brass Band battle for survival amid pit closures. Includes supper courtesy of The Big Chippy. Certificate 15.

Following their rapturous reception at the 10th Prescot Festival, 2012 Double Champions Foden's return by popular demand with a dazzling new programme. This Brassed Off-themed concert includes a delicious BBQ.

Festival Finale with South Liverpool Orchestra

Sunday 28th June, 7.30pm (£5 - under 16s free if with an adult)

Prescot Parish Church, Church Street, Prescot. L34 1LA

The excellent Hope University-based South Liverpool Orchestra is conducted by Rob Howard in classical favourites by Rossini, Purcell, Sibelius, Elgar and Bizet. We also welcome stellar soloist Hannah Mackenzie (RNCM) playing Haydn's Trumpet Concerto. Flag-wave and sing along to 'Jerusalem' and 'Rule Britannia' in this Proms-style conclusion to the festival. With Tim Hall (organ).

Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT) took pupils from Evelyn Road Primary School in Prescot on a trip through time at a special reminiscence event at its latest development, The Watch Factory.

KHT, part of the First Ark Group, guided the twelve children, aged nine and ten, through the history of the site via a variety of artefacts which brought the development’s historical story to life. KHT also showcased its plans for the site’s new homes, where retaining the heritage of the existing buildings remains a priority.

Historical photographs showed the site as The Lancashire Watch Factory, which formed the hub of Great Britain’s watchmaking industry on its opening in 1889. Further photography depicted the 6.75 acre plot of land’s position as a barracks for a battalion of Pals during World War One. Household objects from the 1950s were handed around to invoke the building’s role as headquarters for C.Tinlings & Co printing company, which published books and the Liverpool Evening Express throughout the period.

Finally a group of older residents at a nearby KHT sheltered housing scheme, Cross Street, were invited to attend the event to share their memories of The Watch Factory and its history.

This is the first of several events involving the KHT Watch Factory team and Evelyn Road Primary School, which is a neighbour of the new development. Pupils at the reminiscence event have been invited to generate ideas for street names at the development. The winning student will take a tour of the site and bury a 2015 time capsule which will be compiled with their classmates.

Executive director at KHT, Ian Thomson, said: “It’s great to bring young and old together to look back at the varied past of The Watch Factory and its site. We plan to bring the history of the development into the plot’s transformation with the original Watch Factory listed building forming the centre of the site. However, we will also be reaching forward into the future via our work, installing state of the art Extra Care facilities at the site as well as up-to-date communal areas, such as a restaurant, a hairdressers and activity rooms.

“Every property at the development is designed to be a home for life, and each can be adapted around the future needs of residents, making the area a great place to live for communities for years to come.”

The Watch Factory’s first phase, on Albany Road, Prescot, is being built by KHT together with partners Iliad, Knowsley Council and Harbur Construction, and comprises an initial 70 new Extra Care homes with accompanying Extra Care facilities. The site offers residents 54 one-and two-bed apartments and 10 two-bed bungalows for affordable rent plus 6 two-bed bungalows for shared ownership , all of which have been designed to cater for the future accessibility and care needs of those aged over 55.

To find out more about Knowsley Housing Trust and The Watch Factory, visit: www.k-h-t.org.

May 29, 2015

For people looking to give their health and wellbeing a boost, Wellbeing Enterprises CIC are delighted to be delivering their award winning community resilience event ‘Ignite Your Life!’ across Knowsley.

The event offers a creative and innovative approach to personal and community resilience; teaching people to improve their wellbeing and to stay strong during difficult times.

In partnership with Knowsley Council’s Public Health team, Wellbeing Enterprises CIC will be delivering a series of events commencing in June, available across the borough for the benefit of both residents and communities.

Ignite Your Life is a half-day event that consists of three workshops:

‘5 Ways to Wellbeing’- learning the five simple steps that are guaranteed to improve wellbeing

Creative group session empowering people to tap into their creative potential

Since 2009 this free half day event has been delivered to thousands of people across the UK. Participants say Ignite Your Life improves their wellbeing, helps them support family and friends, and teaches them to spot the signs and symptoms of common mental health problems. In 2010 Wellbeing Enterprises CIC and the Ignite Your Life programme won the prestigious Northwest Health & Social Care Award 2010.

May 28, 2015

Transforming Prescot Town Centre into a thriving and even more attractive destination for residents and visitors is the aim of a new masterplan being drawn up on behalf of Knowsley Council.

Development and Infrastructure Consultancy Peter Brett Associates have been commissioned to develop the masterplan and Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) over the coming months.

The masterplan is an important stage in the process, helping to shape the kind of development/re-development that will take place in Prescot Town Centre over the next 15 years.

Knowsley Council has previously given its commitment to supporting town centres in the borough to help them survive the challenging conditions currently facing high streets throughout the UK. Now the development of a masterplan will help clearly identify the most effective way forward for Prescot’s historic town centre – and compliment the heritage-led regeneration that is already underway as part of the Prescot Townscape Heritage Initiative.

Peter Brett Associates have already undertaken work with key stakeholders to develop a vision and set of strategic objectives for the town centre, which is: “By 2030, Prescot Town Centre will be a thriving place that is an attractive destination for local residents and visitors.

“It will offer a distinctive mix of uses including new cultural and leisure facilities, a consolidated and reinvigorated retail offer, and excellent local services, supported by new residential development that will enable more people to live in the heart of the town.

“The regenerated town centre will be easy to access and provide a high quality environment that showcases Prescot’s heritage and creates a strong sense of place.”

Cllr Mike Murphy, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “The creation of a masterplan is an important milestone for Prescot and will provide a clear and detailed vision for how the town centre can be enhanced over the next 15 years.

“With a rich heritage as a thriving market town we know Prescot has so much potential. Times are tough for high streets up and down Britain at the moment but we are committed to supporting town centres in Knowsley to help them not only survive but to prosper once more. The masterplan for Prescot is an example of that.”

The draft masterplan will be subject to a six week statutory consultation period to be undertaken summer 2015.

Companies or individuals interested in being kept informed of progress regarding the Prescot Town Centre Masterplan can contact the Knowsley Growth Plan Team on 0151 443 3558 or email on growthplan.team@knowsley.gov.uk.

May 27, 2015

Young adventurers can enjoy a week full of activity to celebrate Knowsley Safari’s Love Your Safari event, run by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA).

Running through the May Half Term, the Learning and Discovery team at Knowsley will be delivering interactive activities* and talking about the vital conservation work that takes place on site at Knowsley Safari and in the wild.

As well as scavenger hunt quizzes and badge making, Knowsley Safari is also inviting youngsters to contribute to a large canvas piece where they can leave messages about the park. And there are big prizes up for grabs as the winner of the quiz will win an annual pass to the park.

Nikki Mallott, Senior Learning and Discovery Officer, comments: “We have lots of exciting things planned for Love Your Safari week and we hope our fun, interactive way of working helps to engage young people on important conservation issues.

“During the week long event, families can visit us for a full day out touring the safari drive and walk around area. They can even stop along for a relaxing row across the Mizzy Lake where they can see the Bird of Prey experience from the water or visit our European Moose in the Wild Trail.”

Images from one of the UK’s leading (and rare) photographic galleries: the Open Eye Gallery goes on display at Kirkby Gallery in Out of the Archive.

It was the idea of Knowsley Council’s Culture Development and Events Service, who asked one of Britain’s most outstanding photographers, John Davies, to curate a selection of photographs from the Open Eye’s (http://www.openeye.org.uk/) permanent archive of more than 16,000 images.

The exhibition in Kirkby will feature work from some of the most important photographers of the past century, including Bert Hardy, Edith Tudor-Hart, Martin Parr, Chris Steele-Perkins, John Stoddart and Tom Wood, plus some previously unseen discoveries.

Out of the Archive will run at Kirkby Gallery, which is within the Kirkby Centre on Norwich Way, Kirkby, from 30 May – 12 September 2015. It is a part of the LOOK/15 festival programme - LOOK/15 Exchange, the Liverpool International Photography Festival (15-31 May 2015) www.lookphotofestival.com

The exhibition will be launched with a Private View and Gallery Talk on the morning of Saturday, May 30. Anyone interested in attending must book their place in advance by calling Tina Ball on 0151 443 5617, or email tina.ball@knowsley.gov.uk.

There will also be a series of free workshops for children and families taking place at the gallery over the summer on the theme of photography.

These will take place between 1-4pm on the following dates and themes:

The festival opens in spectacular style with a return visit from our old friends, featuring highlights from Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.

Choral Classics - The Armed Man & More

Saturday 20th June, 7.00pm (£5 - under 16s free if with an adult)

Prescot Parish Church, Church Street, Prescot. L34 1LA

Prescot Festival Chorus (100-strong in 2013 and 2014) perform Karl Jenkins' incredibly popular The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, conducted by James Luxton (Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral) with Peter Kwater (organ). See website to 'Come & Sing.' The second half features the highly-accomplished Parbold Chamber Choir.

Following their rapturous reception at the 10th Prescot Festival, 2012 Double Champions Foden's return by popular demand with a dazzling new programme. This Brassed Off-themed concert includes a delicious BBQ.

Festival Finale with South Liverpool Orchestra

Sunday 28th June, 7.30pm (£5 - under 16s free if with an adult)

Prescot Parish Church, Church Street, Prescot. L34 1LA

The excellent Hope University-based South Liverpool Orchestra is conducted by Rob Howard in classical favourites by Rossini, Purcell, Sibelius, Elgar and Bizet. We also welcome stellar soloist Hannah Mackenzie (RNCM) playing Haydn's Trumpet Concerto. Flag-wave and sing along to 'Jerusalem' and 'Rule Britannia' in this Proms-style conclusion to the festival. With Tim Hall (organ).

The opening weekend of this year’s Prescot Festival promises an irresistibly nostalgic vibe.

The 10-day programme opens on Friday 19 June with the Bentley Operatic Society singing songs from the shows of Gilbert and Sullivan—a staple of light entertainment on stage, screen and TV for over a century.

The afternoon of Sunday 21 June sees Dave Nicholas make a return visit for a recital packed full of memorable melodies of yesteryear. In his role at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, the kilted keyboardist is the UK’s only remaining resident cinema organist, still going strong at the age of 80.

Sandwiched between these two vintage musical treats is a performance of Karl Jenkins’s stunning choral work The Armed Man, a ‘mass for peace’ composed on the occasion of the new millennium.

The festival continues until Sunday 28 June, with highlights including Foden’s Band, the classic film Brassed Off, and the Chilled Lemons Jazz Quartet.

Tickets are available in person from Poco Coffee at 30 Eccleston Street, Prescot, by phone to Ticketweb on 08444 771 000, or online at www.prescotfestival.co.uk, along with the full schedule.

May 26, 2015

Gary Evans from The Halewood Academy, Knowsley encourages students to make the most of their summer

Gary Evans joins heads from Educating East End and Educating Essex, to encourage local teens to make the most of their summer holidays this year

Call comes as new research shows ability of holiday activities to positively impact performance at school

Gary Evans, head teacher at Halewood Academy is joining heads across the country to encourage teens in Knowsley to make the most of the school holidays, in order to get a head start in the new term and life beyond it.

Supporting views from 200 secondary school teachers across the UK as part of a study from National Citizen Service (NCS), Gary Evansagrees that students who have tried something new during the school holidays have a more positive attitude, and are more focusedthan their peers on returning to school. He also often sees students who have not kept themselves occupied over the holidays and agrees they can be less productiveand find it difficult to concentrate when they return to school.